Bibliofemme Bookclub An Irish Bookclub

There is a constant chill running through this short, complex narrative. It never lets up and it has led some to think of The Body Artist as a ghost story; I prefer to see it as an uncannily taut evocation of loss.

When the death of her husband leaves Lauren in a trance-like state she shuts herself away from the world. Thus begins a tentative relationship with a man who starts appearing around the soulless old house that was to have become home for the couple. Recent tape recordings keep the voice of her dead partner alive as Lauren begins to die inside.

In a moment of revelation upon which the success of the book hangs, she claws herself back from the brink, reclaiming the remnants of her own identity and remerging as the body artist of the title.

This is a measured portrayal of one woman’s internal journey. With the lightest of touches, De Lillo brings the minutiae of human interaction to the page. An unerring portrayal of mental anguish and a definite prompt to explore this author’s work further. 3/5

Score awarded by Bibliofemme: 2.4 out of 5

What the other femmes had to say
“Strangely unsatisfying read despite the potential. Maybe better second time round.” 3/5

“What starts as an interesting experiment with language and the mechanisms of grief ends up as cold and pretentious.” 3/5

“It had its moments, yet I found it to be a clumsy exploration of death and time, with a lean story line and overly descriptive writing lacking depth.” 2/5

“I enjoyed this, very cleverly written and an amazing amount squeezed into such a short read – it won’t stay with me though.” 4/5

“Such tiresome pretentious drivel. It meanders and goes nowhere in the end. It barely tried to pull me in when the artist performs in her alter-ego, but overall, I hated it. Needless to say I will not be recommending this to anyone.” 1/5

“The opening sequence, an intimate and minute description of a couple having breakfast together, is a mesmerising stream-of-consciousness but, 18 pages in, the best of the book is over. Stylish? Undoubtedly. But maybe DeLillo is just a bit too clever for his own good.” 1/5